


Four Times Regis and Ignis Talked about Prompto, and the Time Regis Finally Got to Meet Prompto

by littlemiss_m



Series: people talk about things in this (but not prompto because he's a dumbass) [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 5+1 Things, Assassination Attempt(s), BAMF Prompto Argentum, Friendship, Gen, High School, MT Prompto Argentum, Minor Injuries, Prompto is a good friend, actually 4+1 but that's not a tag so, house fire, maths genius prompto, minimal angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-19 09:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14233977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemiss_m/pseuds/littlemiss_m
Summary: What it says on the tin.





	1. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis has a new friend.

Once a week on Friday afternoons, before the weekend and the so-called days off arrived, Regis set aside his work and drank a cup of tea with Ignis. Of all the meetings in his life, these were perhaps the ones he treasured the most; as a father largely absent from his son's life, listening to the young adviser recount the events of the past week was a definite highlight in his otherwise busy week. Of course, he did his best to meet with Noctis as well, usually to dine together in private, but, well, as a teenage boy, his son simply didn't talk much about himself.

Five minutes before the meeting, Regis quietly closed all the files and binders on his desk, turning papers facedown and hiding a stack or two in the drawers. Not a minute later, a knock echoed through the room and both Ignis and the maid of the day walked in, the latter pushing in a trolley; years earlier, the kitchen had all but made a game of matching Ignis' ability to be always on time, never too early, never late at all. Greeting the two, Regis stood from his chair and moved to the small eating area in the corner of the room. A nervous excitement coursed in his veins as he watched the maid lay out the tea and the food; today marked the end of Noctis' first week in high school.

”For today's tea, we have a white Galahdian blend with berry flavoring, accompanied by the usual assortment of sandwiches and cakes,” the maid spoke softly after both Regis and Ignis had taken their seats. ”Please enjoy.”

”Thank you,” Regis said, dismissing her with a smile. Ignis poured out the two cups of tea and breathed in the scent, looking thoughtful.

”This is a new one,” he said carefully. ”I wonder where the staff acquired it...”

”Indeed,” Regis murmured, more out of need to say something rather than an explicit interest in tea varieties. ”How are you today, Ignis?”

They both reached for the first sandwiches, Regis choosing his old favorite – smoked salmon could not go wrong – while Ignis, always the culinary adventurer, picked one of the newer flavors, no doubt placed there just for him to try it out.

”I am well, Your Majesty,” Ignis replied. ”Work has been unusually standard lately; I must admit, the lack of urgency has me more than a little worried, as such good tides rarely last long.”

Regis chuckled and sipped at his tea, surprised over how light and tart it tasted. He'd expected something sweeter based on the mention of berries, but whatever kind used in the blend must have been a more bitter variety. ”You aren't wrong there,” he said, ”and it appears I must be the bearer of bad news, for I have just agreed to host a meeting between certain world leaders by the end of the year. The work ought to pick up again in a few weeks. Enough of that talk, however; I must know how my son has taken to high school.”

Ignis nodded and swallowed a bite of his sandwich. ”He appears to have no complaints,” he spoke, though there was a curious undertone to his voice that had Regis tilting his head in expectation. ”Though I imagine his lack of criticism is due to his new friend.”

Of all the things Regis had expected to hear from Ignis, the possibility of a friend hadn't even made the list. Was he truly meant to believe that Noctis had managed to acquire a friend, five days into the school year? He eyed the young advisor with mixed feelings, on one hand happy to hear that Noctis had made a friend, but on the other, doubting the sincerity of said friendship. There had been people before, too, boys and girls with toothy smiles, but none of them had lasted.

”I see,” Regis spoke slowly, carefully, wanting so much but not daring to believe. ”You've looked into this friend already, have you not?”

It was a good sign that the friendship was mentioned at all, and in such a neutral light, too; still, Regis worried, all too familiar with people who saw the name and the fame but not the person. Ignis nodded in response to the question.

”His name is Prompto Argentum,” Ignis began, ”he's in the same year as His Highness and shares most of the classes with him. He also went to Insomnia Middle School, though they were in different classes back then and apparently did not interact at all.”

”Have you met the boy?”

”Very briefly,” Ignis said. ”His Highness introduced us yesterday, after school was over. Mr. Argentum seemed very shy, but also suitably polite and well-mannered. In His Highness' presence, however, he is much more lively and quite... energetic, I suppose is a good word for it. Noctis, too, tends to smile around Mr. Argentum.”

High praise from Ignis. Regis reached for a small strawberry tart and bit into the treat, chewing as he though about the boy, this mysterious Prompto Argentum. Nodding at Ignis to pour out more tea, he reclined back in his chair, still thinking.

”Mr. Argentum has done well enough in school until now,” Ignis continued to explain. ”He excels in a few subjects and does a bit poorly in others, but it does not appear to be a question of attitude. His attendance record is as spotless as one could expect from a boy his age, and he hasn't had any trouble with the authorities. It seems there have been a few instances of him being bullied at school, though I would not worry about him dragging His Highness into any of it.”

Regis nodded. ”Is there anything that worries you?” he asked, flinching as soon as he saw Ignis' expression. It had started to sound too good.

”His parents work outside of Insomnia and are rarely home, though otherwise their family life seems good enough. More than this, however...” Ignis sighed and sipped at his tea. ”Parts of his file are closed and when I asked about it, I wasn't permitted access to it. Lord Amicitia looked at the issue and said that everything is good, and I suppose it must be so seeing as they were allowed to attend the same middle school, but still...”

More than a little confused, Regis stood up and retrieved his tablet, quickly typing his way into the archives. There were multiple reasons why someone's personal file might have pieces of it blanked out, but for Ignis to be denied access... that was a bit worrisome, as the advisor had a clearance level almost as high as the crown prince himself. Then, the involvement of Clarus, who for some reason had not mentioned the incident at all... All in all, Regis was definitely feeling some confusion.

There was only one Argentum, Prompto living in Insomnia, the name highly uncommon yet somehow familiar to Regis; he knew why as soon as he pulled open the file. ”The reason the file is closed off from you,” he began, a heavy weight swelling in his throat, ”is because he was rescued by one of our men, who, ah, accidentally acquired a baby while out on a mission and could not bear to leave the child behind.”

There were holes in the explanation but Ignis didn't ask about them. ”I see,” he said, pushing up his glasses. ”In your opinion, is there reason to break off their friendship, sir?”

Was there? Regis stared at the file, the picture of a blond boy with a stunningly bright smile, then the second photograph of a little baby held in the arms of a man in a black uniform. Prompto Argentum, the MT baby, rescued from an Imperial research base by none other but the Marshal himself. The file talked about being exposed to the scourge, months of neglect and abuse, needlemarks in thin arms and a barcode marking him as property, as a machine-to-be, as something so horrific Regis didn't even want to think about it – Prompto Argentum, his son's new friend.

Years and years earlier, it had been him and Cor sitting in a similar meeting while Clarus paced the floor, all of them fretting for different reasons. Cor had been protective of the baby while Regis had been forced to think of his people, and though they all knew the priorities of kings and marshals and soldiers, it had been one fight of a conversation.

Back then, though, Regis had made the call to let the baby stay in Insomnia. The scourge infection had stopped spreading inside the Wall and according to the doctors, it wasn't going to spread to others. Then the scientists had confirmed that the baby was perfectly human, no threats attached, and Cor had looked at Regis with an expression of desperate pleading, and so he had given in. Back then, those twelve or so years earlier, he had deemed the boy safe enough to be allowed to live, and since he'd been the one to make that call... then who was he to deny him from associating with Noctis?

”No,” he spoke eventually, logging out of the archives. ”I see nothing wrong with his history. If he truly, sincerely wishes to befriend Noctis, then I will not interfere – unless, of course, something else comes up.”

”Of course, Your Majesty,” Ignis replied. ”I'll keep an eye on the situation.”


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a significant improvement in Noctis' math grades.

Far into the autumn semester, Ignis handed Regis a folded piece of paper with a raised eyebrow before turning to his tea. Though winter and its snowfalls were still weeks if not months in the future, the air had already began to cool down, and their afternoon tea had changed to reflect that; a spicy blend of tea that left Regis feeling warm all the way to his bones, sandwiches full of ripe vegetables and game, heavy chocolate cakes to finish off the set. Across the table, Ignis was holding back a smirk and Regis put down his tea to fold open the paper.

The first report card of the year. Regis eyed the paper, taking in the numbers and grades listed beside each subject. He was happy to see that the grades were mostly the same as they had been in middle school, not necessarily the best but certainly enough to be proud of. What really brought a smile to his face, however, were the grades for mathematics, physics, and chemistry, all of them better than before.

”I see your tutoring has finally began to stick,” Regis commented, putting the report card away. ”Wonderful.”

”Ah, I'm afraid you're applauding the wrong person, Your Majesty,” Ignis spoke, blushing a little. ”It embarrasses me to admit it, but I've had very little to do with His Highness' improving grades.”

Regis blinked, surprised. ”No?” he asked. ”Did we hire a new tutor for him?”

If anything, Ignis appeared even more flustered, pushing up his glasses in a nervous tick. ”No, not exactly. It turns out that Prompto Argentum is actually a mathematic genius who is already taking university-level classes. The improvement in His Highness' grades is all thanks to him.”

”Truly?” Something like that should have been in Argentum's file, but Regis supposed he'd been a bit too busy with other issues when he'd last looked at its contents. ”That's... marvellous, I suppose? A little unexpected, perhaps, though... I wonder if it is the thought of a teenage boy who is also a mathematics genius that is a tad – perplexing, or... Huh.”

”I was a bit surprised as well, but then again I suppose Prompto's previous grade reports should have been enough to hint at this,” Ignis sighed. ”An oversight on my part, though not a very serious one, thankfully.”

Regis nodded, humming low in his throat. ”The boys have been spending a lot of time together lately, have they not?”

Argentum had been given permission to enter Noctis' apartment months earlier, and there had even been talks of inspecting his house so Noctis could spend time at his place as well. At first, Ignis had been the only person to talk to Regis about Argentum's involvement in his son's life, but lately even Noctis had began to drop mentions of the boy, smiling shyly as he recalled whatever good times they had gotten up to. It warmed Regis' heart to see him beginning to enjoy life more, finding chances to be a normal teenager; though most of his Council had been against it, sending Noctis to a public school had apparently been an excellent idea.

”They see each other almost every day,” Ignis said. Regis was glad to see him smiling as he talked about Argentum. ”They spend almost too much time at the arcade, on top of which Prompto comes over several times every week. He's always a courteous guest, or he tries to be, even if his manners sometimes fail him; he never overstays his welcome and when he does agree to stay for dinner, he makes a point of offering his help with setting and clearing the table.”

”Aren't you verbose today,” Regis quipped, grinning when Ignis flushed and immediately reached for his glasses. ”You must be quite fond of the boy, to praise him so much.”

Ignis was not a man to hail someone so lenghtily unless he truly meant it; polite smiles and compliments were one thing, almost required by anyone working with nobility and powerful people, but true, honest praise like that... Regis smiled as warmth seeped into his heart.

”He is quite endearing,” Ignis admitted. ”Gladiolus has taken to referring to him as Sunshine, and I cannot fault him for such a moniker. Prompto has become a great friend not only to His Highness, but all three of us. It has only been a shy few months, yet I find myself unable to imagine what life would be like without him in it.”

The last words were a great surprise to Regis, though no less pleasing than the preceding praise. ”I cannot describe how happy I am to hear that,” he said. ”Would it be too early to organize a meeting, hmm? I've been curious about Argentum ever since my son started mentioning his name during our dinners, but after listening to you praise him so...”

He trailed off, not quite expecting an immediate agreement, but definitely not expecting to see Ignis' smile falter. ”Ah, I'm afraid that might not be the best idea at the time being,” the young man murmured. ”I cannot say for sure, but Prompto likely has some form of an anxiety problem; I know His Highness has been trying to talk him into seeing the school nurse, but if anything has come of his pestering, then I have not been made aware of it.”

”I see...” Regis sighed. ”Well, I am happy hear Noctis is trying to help his friend, however. How serious of an issue are we talking about...?”

”I'm not entirely sure,” Ignis admitted thoughtfully. ”He's anxious enough that he's struggling with some things, but in my assessment, not so much that it would have severe impacts on his life. If I knew him a bit better, I might talk to him about it, but I feel that our friendship is still a tad too fresh and tentative for such a heavy discussion.”

Regis nodded absent-mindedly and thought of Argentum's life. He didn't know if there were other issues in Argentum's life beyond the obvious, but as an orphan whose heritage was apparent for anyone who could see... life couldn't be too easy for him.

”Well,” he sighed, ”if the topic comes up in a discussion, do let him know that I am delighted to hear that my son has made such a good friend.”

Ignis smiled. ”Of course, Your Majesty.”


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Regis awards Prompto the Royal Medal of Utmost Civilian Valor.

One part of the king's duties was handing out various medals and awards for his people; the military awards were often a harsh reminder to Regis, who had all his life wished for peace and little else. The civilian awards, on the other hand, were always a delight, tales of ordinary citizens helping others in acts of good will. Once a month, Regis' secretary handed him a stack of pre-filled forms waiting for his signature; it was a formality, but one he was fond of fulfilling.

At the end of May, just before the end of Noctis' first year in high school, Regis accepted the latest stack of nominees and set to work. He granted a medal to a school teacher who saved a student from an extreme allergic reaction, and another one to two bystanders who had rescued a young immigrant girl from being ambushed by violent bullies. The third nomination made him pause.

Regis held the paper in both hands and carefully read through the details, frowning. The Insomnian Fire Department was nominating Prompto Argentum, 15, for the Royal Medal of Utmost Civilian Valor, and if the rest of the file was truthful, then the teen in question more than deserved the honor. What confused Regis the most was that the incident had taken place six weeks prior, and neither Noctis nor Ignis had so much as mentioned it.

Still frowning, Regis pressed a button on his desk. ”Lynda, would you please see if Ignis has a free moment sometime today? There is something I would like to discuss with him – nothing urgent, though, so if he's busy this can very well wait until Friday.”

Not a moment later, the staticky voice of his secretary responded. ”Of course, Your Majesty.”

According to the form, Prompto had risked his own life to save an elderly neighbor when her apartment had caught fire. Regis red through the rest of the paper with care, then turned to the file containing reports by both the fire department and the police. Six weeks earlier, Prompto had noticed the smell of smoke drifting into his apartment, and when he investigated it, he realized a large part of the next floor was ablaze. Regis looked at the map detailing the area of the fire and swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment before reading on.

Prompto had not been the first one to call the emergency number, nor was he the first one to start knocking on doors; an asterisk marked the sentence and Regis glanced down, at the bottom of the page, to confirm what the words implied. There had been no working smoke detectors in the hallways. While people hurried out of the building, Prompto realized that an old woman, whose apartment was in the middle of the worst fire, was still inside.

According to the medical report, he suffered serious but not pressingly life-threatening injuries; the woman was even worse, but despite everything working against him, Prompto was somehow able to drag her out to the hallway, where another neighbor helped them both away from the fire. Three people died but without Prompto's contribution, the final death toll would have been one soul higher.

The paramedics diagnozed Prompto with second-degree burns and smoke inhalation. It took two elixirs to heal the burns, but when he was told he needed to be hospitalized, he refused all further treatment that couldn't be administered on-scene. The paramedics saw a possibly uninsured Niff kid shying away from the authorities and left him be; upon reading the assessment, Regis had to put down the file so he could groan into his hands. He'd been aware of Prompto Argentum, the teenager, for almost a full school year and there were two things he knew for sure: one, the boy had an unholy obsession towards chocobos, and two, he'd probably try to walk off a bullet wound with a smile and a claim that everything was fine.

The sounds of Ignis knocking at the door and announcing his entrance brought Regis out of his thoughts and he leaned back, calling the young advisor into the room. ”Your Majesty,” he greeted, stopping to bow before approaching the desk.

”Please take a seat,” Regis said. ”I hope I didn't interrupt anything too important.”

Ignis shook his head as he settled into a chair. ”No, sir, only today's training session; I'll join His Highness and Gladiolus next Saturday to make up for it. May I ask, has something happened?”

Nodding, Regis picked up both the form and the file and handed them over. Ignis gave the former a brief overlook and blinked, clearly surprised, but when he opened the file, he blanched. Regis continued to watch him as he read, a truly horrified expression falling on his face. ”I take it you didn't know, then,” he said after a while.

Ignis shook his head. ”Dear Gods, no,” he whispered. ”I did – I did catch him at Noctis' apartment one morning before school, doing laundry, but the way he explained it... I was under the impression there wasn't much of a fire at all, and that the damage was mostly due to smoke. This is – this is – sweet Shiva, I cannot believe that boy!”

He spat out the last words, clearly exasperated, and Regis smiled fondly as he saw just how much Ignis truly cared for Prompto. ”What do you mean, he was at the apartment?”

Gritting his teeth together, Ignis cleaned off his glasses before answering. When he spoke again, his tone was much more calm than before. ”Just that: I went over to help prepare His Highness for the school day and found Prompto ironing his school uniform in the laundry room.” He paused long enough for Regis to imagine the scene. ”He told me there had been a small – and that was his word, _small_ – fire at his apartment complex, and that the building was being aired out. He'd needed someplace to stay for the rest of the night, so he came to the apartment; his uniform smelled of smoke, so he washed it, and then also did His Highness' laundry to finish off the load. Prompto is quite adept at ironing, actually.”

Regis raised an eyebrow. ”Is he, now,” he said, teasing. ”Other than a spectacular laundryman, how was he?”

Ignis sighed. ”Jittery, clearly keyed-up and agitated. At the time, I assumed it was his anxiety at play, and I still suppose it was, but to think how serious the situation was...” He shook his head. ”I wonder if he even knew how serious a condition smoke inhalation is.”

”The paramedics should have lectured him on the issue,” Regis said, sighing. ”Well, either way, I will be awarding him the requested medal as usual; I merely wished to hear if you were aware of the events, and now I have my answer.”

Ignis nodded and returned the papers to Regis, who wasted no time in checking the form once more before picking up the good pen and signing the bottom of the page. He finished it off with his stamp and stuck the form under the elastic bands of the binder, when a sudden thought struck him. ”Ah, never mind my words, I do have another question as well,” he said. ”Speaking of Prompto's anxiety – do you think he would be able to attend the usual ceremonies?”

The Royal Medal of Utmost Civilian Valor was, like its name suggested, one of the highest civilian medals that the crown had to offer, and its awarding was considered a bit of a special occasion. The usual ceremony considered either of a formal lucheon or a dinner gala depending on the situation, both attended by people of high standing; a session with a journalist preceeded either option.

Ignis looked thoughtful for a moment. ”I do believe he'd pull through if he absolutely had to,” he said. ”However, he greatly dislikes being the center of attention and being put on the spot like that would make him quite uncomfortable.”

Regis nodded and grabbed a stack of post-it notes. ”I understand,” he said. ”He is a minor, and the formal events are more of a custom than a regulation. We'll take the occasion as a chance for Noctis to practice awarding prestigious medals; I'm sure someone will be able to supply a cake for the situation.”

Ignis smiled when Regis winked at him. ”Of course, Your Majesty,” he said.

”Good. Thank you for your time; I will see you again on Friday, if not sooner.”

Regis watched Ignis leave with a fond smile on his lips. The binder was still in the middle of his desk, the signed form on top of it. He stuck the neon green note on top of the form and added the file to the stack of finished papers, then moved on to the next form; a woman whose skillful use of the Heimlich maneuver had saved a young child from choking at a café.

_(N.B. Noctis will present award in private; contact Ignis Scientia for details. – HRM)_


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis and Gladio fall ill while Regis and Ignis are both away.

The meeting took place outside of Insomnia. Noctis' presence had been neither requested nor required, so he'd been left to stay at home while Regis, Clarus, and a small handful of the most central councilmembers and politicians tagged along. Regis had extended the invite to Ignis, offering a chance to observe friendly negotiations between amicable heads of state; the advisor had, naturally, taken up on the offer.

Nothing unexpected had happened during the week-long negotiations and Regis departed the scene in a very pleased mood. He sat in the back of the Regalia with Clarus and Ignis, the rest of the delegation traveling in three more cars behind them. The drive back home was a long one, but instead of booking a hotel somewhere along the route, they simply changed drivers at frequent intervals.

The last stop took place during the small hours of the morning, still a few hours away from Insomnia. Woken up from his slumber, Ignis looked at his phone and cursed, startling the two others into alert wakefulness. The expression on his face was one of worry rather than indignation and Regis frowned as a cold hand grasped at the bottom of his stomach. ”Ignis?” he asked, waiting for the explanation.

”His Highness and Gladio have both taken ill,” Ignis answered, jaws clenched as he scrolled up on his messaging app. ”Prompto is taking care of them, but he's been trying to reach me for a few hours now. According to him, Noctis is fine, but Gladio has been hospitalized.”

Regis and Clarus shared a look. ”What's wrong with them?” the latter asked, clearly worried. ”And by hospitalized, do you mean–”

”Prompto doesn't know how to contact the Citadel,” Ignis answered curtly. ”A major oversight on my part. Pardon me.”

He pressed the phone against his ear but Regis shook his head. ”Put him on speaker. We'll be silent.”

Frowning, Ignis did as told. He lowever the phone and a second later, the loud beeps echoed in the car. It didn't take long for Prompto to pick up the call. ”Iggy!” he said, sounding agitated but not overtly frantic. ”Um, did you – did you get the texts? The ambulance came to get Gladio but Noct's still here. He's, uh, he's coherent when I try to wake up him and his fever isn't that bad, but I think it's the same flu Gladio's got, the one that everyone's got right now.”

They were in the middle of the flu season. Both Noctis and Gladio had been vaccinated as soon as the yearly shots were first made available, but there had been concerns that the current influenza strain had already mutated, making the vaccination ineffective. Regis rested a hand on Clarus' knee and listened on.

”I did read the messages, thank you,” Ignis replied. ”I've alerted Noctis' physician and she'll be coming over soon. Black, graying hair and brown eyes; ask to see her ID if you're not sure. You think he's not too badly off, then?”

There was the sound of something rustling. ”Uh, yeah, he's just sick,” Prompto answered. ”Like if I was him right night, I'd still go to school in the morning.”

Ignis chortled and looked up at the car's ceiling. Regis and Clarus shared a look. ”Yes, Prompto, I am aware that you have no care for your own well-being,” Ignis commented drily, even as his expression promised murder. ”You can get him to wake up, then?”

”You don't have to say it like that, dude,” Prompto whined. ”But yeah, he wakes up just as easy as usual, and he's been drinking water too. It's just that he was pretty much fine last night when I came over, but he's gotten sick so fast it's kinda scary. I, um, I wasn't sure if I should've let the ambulance take him too, but like I said, his fever's still okay enough and he wasn't anywhere near as bad as Gladio–”

The infamous anxiety was beginning to seep into his words. ”It's fine, Prompto,” Ignis said softly, cutting off the teen. ”The physician will be able to help him. What's wrong with Gladio?”

Prompto hesitated for a moment before answering and Regis felt more than saw Clarus tense next to him. ”When I saw how sick Noct was getting, I tried to go over to Gladio's place to get some help, yeah?” he began. ”But he wouldn't come to the door even though I knew he was supposed to be home. I, um, tried to call you too but I guess you were busy – and that's okay! – but, uh, I couldn't find Noct's keys either so I went to the desk downstairs. The doorman came back up with me to let me in, and we found Gladio passed out in the bathroom. He, um, he had a pretty nasty wound on his head and the paramedics said he's probably got a concussion. And the flu, he's definitely got that one. His fever was like seriously high so the ambulance crew just picked him up and left.”

Both Regis and Ignis were watching Clarus, whose face had paled in worry. ”You've done well, Prompto,” Ignis soothed in soft tones. ”I am so sorry you've been left all alone with this; I promise, as soon as I get back there, I'll make sure this will never happen again.”

”No, it's okay,” Prompto said. He was beginning to cry so Regis nodded at Ignis, giving him permission. ”I just didn't know who to call and then–”

The words were cut off as Ignis turned off the speaker and lifted up the phone, continuing the conversation in a hushed voice. Regis turned towards Clarus, who was flicking through his own phone. ”Any news?”

Clarus nodded. ”A message from Jared, saying that Gladio's at the hospital. He's responding well to treatment.”

”That's good.” Regis patted his friend's knee and smiled at him. ”I'm sure he'll be back on his feet in no time.”

”Yeah...” Clarus murmured. He put away the phone and leaned back in his seat, glancing at Ignis. ”Kid sounds like a good friend.”

Regis agreed and said as much. The genuine worry in Prompto's voice had been evident even through the anxious shuffling, and from the sound of it, the teen had been doing his best to help in a situation he hadn't been prepared for. Once in Insomnia, Regis would have to sign some papers, maybe even update Prompto's security clearance; it was becoming clear that the teen was there to stay.

Closing his eyes, Regis thought back to the day Ignis had first told him about Noctis' new friend. All his worries, all his concerns had melted away in a shorter time than he'd have thought possible. Prompto Argentum was a boy with a good head on his shoulders, but even more importantly, he was a better friend to Noctis than any of them could ever have asked for.


	5. +1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Regis finally meets Prompto.

Summer had hit Insomnia first with an abundance of thunder storms, then with soft sunshine that brought the Crown Citizens out to streets to play and have fun. In the Citadel, Regis took to taking longer walks both in the blooming, buzzing gardens and the winding colonnades circling in and around the Citadel. It was on one of these walks that he spotted a young, blond man with a camera in his hands, sitting astride on the wide stone balustrade, his back resting against one of the columns. Regis had seen enough pictures of Prompto Argentum to recognize the boy at first sight.

Too focused on gazing through his camera, Prompto didn't spot Regis approaching until he cleared his throat. The poor boy startled, almost falling sideways over his seat. Nearby, a lone Crownsguard bit down on his lip to keep from laughing. ”You – Your Majesty!” Prompto squeaked, hopping down and bowing in a thoroughly flustered manner. ”I'm sorry, I didn't notice you!”

”That's fine, that's fine,” Regis tried to placate him, immediately understanding every last word Ignis had ever used to describe the teen. ”Mr. Argentum, am I correct? I'm glad to finally meet you; my son speaks very highly of you.”

”Um, yes, sir,” Prompto continued to sputter. ”Thank you, sir?”

”I should be the one to thank you, dear boy, for all you've done for Noctis.” Regis had to actively fight a grin when he saw the teen blush even deeper. He was getting visibly anxious, though, so Regis pointed at the camera. ”Were you taking pictures of the gardens? I've heard you have quite a passion for photography.”

”Oh, um, I was trying to get one of the birds, actually,” Prompto jittered, glancing up. ”There's a nest up above, right under the overhang, and it's about time for the hatclings to leave the nest.”

”Ah, I see,” Regis said, nodding. There were a lot of birds nesting in the little nooks and crannies of the Citadel building, never mind the sprawling gardens. At times, the little chirps and tweets of various breeds of birds grew almost unbearably loud, but at the same time, some of Regis' most fond childhood memories involved finding empty, cracked shells in various colors hidden in the most curious places. ”Have you–”

His words were cut off by Prompto's hands on his chest, pushing him down. The moment was long enough for Regis to vaguely grasp what was happening, long enough for admonishment and surprise to set in; then he heard the telltale crackle of three or four bullets hitting the far wall of the colonnade, and it all began to make sense. Regis breathed deep, reached for his magic, and let his barrier spell expand out just as Prompto threw himself down on the floor as well.

”I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Prompto gasped from where he lay next to Regis' knees. The Crownsguard crouched down and crawled over, one hand on a radio. ”I saw a flash – there's one in the clock tower behind the large maple tree, and I think a second one on the wall to the left of the tower, but I'm not sure – Gods I'm so sorry!”

Sitting up gingerly, Regis rested a hand on Prompto's shoulder. ”Do not apologize, son, for you have just saved my life,” he spoke, then glanced at the Crownsguard huddling with them.

”Marshal Leonis just ordered a full lockdown, sir,” the man said, eyes trained behind the balustrade. ”He and Captain Drautos are already working on the assailants. Are either of you injured?”

Prompto shook his head, a motion Regis copied. ”No, I am fine,” he answered. ”Prompto, do you see the statue over there? There's a secret doorway next to it and we're going to take it. Please stay close to me and make sure you do _not_ leave my barrier, do you understand?”

”Yes, sir,” the blond murmured. He reached for his camera, which lay broken on the stone tiles, and took in the dimensions of the barrier before carefully standing up and joining the Crownsguard in helping Regis to his feet. They were met with an instant hail of bullets pattering against the barrier, but his magic held fast. Regis pulled a shaking Prompto close to his side and calmly walked towards the secret door, knowing and trusting the Crownsguard to follow.

Once inside the dark, thin hallway, Regis found himself sniggering against the palm of his hand. Prompto had _definitely_ left a good first impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand it's over! Many many thanks to everyone who's commented, kudoed, and bookmarked this, I've been smiling almost non-stop for most of the week because of how happy you make me <3


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